Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-04-16
THE DUCHARMES.

Rput-t luc Nbius Noiiic
in short gusts across the water to where Dc
tave Ducharme stood, pike pole in hand
They were running the logs on the st. Jo-
seph. The river was racing over the rapids
to where the falls were roaring and pulsing
under the dome of mist which the April sun
was shifting with rainbow shafts that broke
and glanced upon Its shifting sides.
Ducharme struck his pole deep into the
boom, and gazed under his hand up the
cleaning river. The water was broken and
curied, and came turning the sudden bend
with foam topped waves that were bright
now in the afternoon sun He looked steadily
for moment; then, as he saw something
drift into sight other than the dipping logs,
he pulled off his heavy boots, threw down his
hat and watched again. There was rush of
men on the river road, with waving Of arms
and confused cries. But Ducharme ever
watched the speck in the swift water, that
drew near TO him and took the shape of
white face drawn with pain and rocked to
and fro in the current They were shouting
from the bank: Don't go ini"-"Youn both
go overi"-"F rancois!"- "Octavel'-shouts-
groans-wild jostling of men and waving of
| arms. But he stood as calmly as if he were
watching a muskrat cleave the brown waters
of some quiet lake in an ever widening wedge
Suddenly he drew himself up and plunged
just in front of the floating face The two
men spoke to one another quickly as they
| were drifted swiftly together
"Oh, Octavel my leg! my legr7
"Never mind, little brother; put your hand
on my shoulder"
The strong arms were making new esldies
in the torn water The crowd ran along the
bank shouting wildly: SECT into the eddy!n
"Ducnarme Ducharmew Strike into the
eddy, or you'll 60 overi' any Godl" aCatch
the BOOM "Strike imp ''We'l pull you
out!n
They ran out on the boom where it was
swinging dangerously at the mouth of the
chute. The water there was curved in a great
CLASSY heap with long why streaks. Above
was the eddy, wheeling and turning. To get
| into its power was safety. The swimmer kept
| edging in. In a few moments he would be
abreast Of it. He was muttering under his
breath.
keep up, little brother; keep up, little
| brother
The men on the shore strained forward.
struck in the air as if swimming, stamped
with their feet and reached out over the river.
my God he's safer mo! he's missed itIn
One huge fellow sank on bis knees and hid his
face, mo, boys, he's inin They'll get himl-
They're against the boomln "Baptiste has
himp They're safel" And a wild veil of
joy tore through the air
''Take him first, Octave was saving: s'two
of you hang on; the water will carry him
under; I'm all right; pull him along out of
| the current-there nown
The men stoed around as they strove to
bring Francois to, and when he opened his
eyes they went back to their work and left
him with Octave and the three who had
taken him out of the water.
His leg was broken in two places and his
head was gashed; but he was all right, he
said. and they carried him into the shantv.
That was almost the first year they were
on the river together, and all the dangers
that crowded thicAly about them in the wears
Of toll that followed were warled off BY the
strength of four arms; for one Ducharme was
never alone, and it was always The Du-
charmes,' not Francois or Octave but
''The Ducharmes," 1.-THE Ducharrnes of the
Baskatonger Whether hunting, or logging.
or driving, or running the RATS down to the
st. Lawrence or at home on the Baskatonge,
it was always the same. "Have YOU the d.
charmes" one foreman would say of another:
''theD you're all right"
How the work went when there was Octave
to sing and Francois to lead the musical cry,
when all arms strained togetherl And they
never seemed to think of one another They
went along unconsciously, working together,
nd r-ha b,,,-4 -
who stayed with him until he was better.
OCTAVE, Octave" Francois would say, but
in return it was always Little brother.n No
one could tell why One was as tall as the
other, and as strong They we're like two
stalwart young pines, straight and towering;
only, if you watched them closely, Francois
never even lit his pipe until he saw the smoke
part Octave's lips and curl about his face.
Octave was always first They did not know
it themselves, but Francois always followed.
Their little house back on the Baskatonge
was heaped round with snow in the winter,
and the frosty wind blew no wreaths of smoke
from the chimney into the pines But that
had not always been so; there had been a
time when there were four Ducharmes instead
of two, and when the frost drew curtains
across the windows of the happiest home in
the north.
Hypolite Ducharme was a trapper and
hunter who sold his furs to the traders.
and never swung an ak except to cut
his own f1rewood He had lived for
some years on the Baskatonge, and did
not find himself lonely until one dav,
when he took his winters haul of furs down
the Gatineau, he saw pair of brown ewes
.,.fa i=,fx-
his traps day after day, and hear the sound
Of the wild fowl driving in a wedge south
ward TO the sunlit sweeps Of reeds and curved
reaches of moving marsh grass, without seeing
that house, back from the river about the
flight of wounded partridge, and the girl
with the plated hair working TO the music
of her own voice.
At noon the next day many were the bends
and rapids between him and the three logs
where he had landed the night before; but as
his canoe steadied and swung out into the
current. he was watched from the bushes,
and until the river hid behind the stony spur
of the hill, that never before looked as cold
and hopeless, the dark eyes under the arch of
brown hands timed the flashing paddle, and
when the sun burned red for a moment on
the canoe, as it turned behind the hiIl-would
it ever come backA-the November mists
came into that May day, and the wind kept
turning the dead leaves in the forest.
The way had never seemed so long before;
the canoe was never so heavy, and one sea-
son he had twice as many furs. But when
he turned north again it was short road he
had &c travel; and when he reached the rocky
point the current bore him a white wood lily,
which he took out of the water as it grazed
the canoe side.
He Travelled north again, but not alone, and
many were the thickets that trembled to the
unknown sound of woman's voice. For it
was a little matter whether it was on the
Baskatonge Or the Gatineau that Marie De-
lorme lived so long as she was with the man
she loved.
But that was long ago; and all the marks
which Hypolite Ducharme blazed on the trees
have grown over in ridges, and when an otter
is caught he is always the finest the trapper
ever saw.
Before Hypohte was killed by the bear, and
before Marie died the boys had learned all
hpir foil 81 e and